In Our Life
by hyperion flare
Summary: A Series of Drabbles focusing on the Turks and their lives. Not all is as simple as we wish it, yet some strive to see it made that way. M for language.
1. Kiss Me Goodbye

**Summary: **Elena and Reno discuss the past, in one way or another.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. Except this chocolate.

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"What happened to her?" Elena asked.

Reno spun around in his chair, folding his arms as he stopped.

"Who?"

Elena shifted uncomfortably in the doorway of his cubicle. "Cissnei."

"Elena," Reno sighed, "Stay out of the old documents, 'kay? It's no fun readin' through that shit."

"That's not what I asked."

He shrugged. "We don't really talk about it, I guess."

Elena rolled her eyes. "I know. Tseng asked me to go through some of the old files, to look for something about the Nibelheim reactor. Anyway, there were a few files where she was mentioned..."

"The ones 'bout Zack and Cloud."

"Yeah. They escaped, we chased them... blah blah... Cissnei reported being beaten by Zack at the beach. The next file was her being removed from the system."

Reno shifted, glancing back at his desk. "It happens. She died."

"But _how?_ I don't see how she could have been beaten by Zack -- they _were_ friends, weren't they?"

"She was a good Turk, okay?" Reno snapped. "But she fucked off on us and let him get away. We didn't even know where she was. She's probably fucking dead."

"But--"

"People die, Elena. _Good _people. Happens all the time. If you're gonna get hung up on one dead Turk--"

"So she just disappeared."

"Yeah. Probably dead. Shit happens."

Elena sighed, leaning on the wall of the cubicle. Reno glared at her.

"Don't go asking anyone else about her, okay?" he said, rolling back away from her. "I'm not having everyone else pissed off 'cos you don't know when to stop."

She nodded, turning and walking out quietly.

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	2. The Shivers

**Summary:** Reno has a _bad day._

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything.

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Reno was having a _bad day._

First, the coffee machine had broken. The report from his last mission had gone in late again, causing Tseng to decide that he wouldn't be allowed to do any more high profile cases with his partner until he _learned some responsibility. _He had instead been assigned to beat some information out of some bastard named Gyen, _with Elena as backup._ Elena, Reno protested, wasn't even good as _secondary_ backup.

Tseng had made him take her, anyway.

Gyen was perhaps the slimiest, sleaziest son of a bitch that Reno had ever met. Involved in one drug ring or another, he (apparently) had information on where they might find the last six shipments of materia that the ShinRa Corporation was meant to be being held hostage. Reno had taken great pleasure in _beating the living shit_ out of the bastard as he tied him to a chair before beginning the interrogation, despite Elena's protests.

"Where're you hiding it?" He growled, twirling his EMR at his side. "I don't have all fuckin' day."

"I don't know," said Gyen, staring up at him through a swollen eye. Reno smiled, upping the charge on the EMR. Elena folded her arms.

"Tseng told you not to use that _unless necessary,_" she said. "He may end up talking anyway."

Reno snarled, spinning around.

"Elena, shut the _fuck up," _he hissed, before he tripped; catching his feet on the rope left abandoned on the floor after tying up Gyen. Elena covered her mouth with the back of her hand as Gyen started laughing.

A totally fucking _shitty_ day, Reno decided, before standing and hitting Gyen with his EMR. Fucking _horrible_ day.

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	3. Anyone Else But You

**Summary:** Reno has a bit too much to drink.

**Disclaimer:**I don't own anything.

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Reno's drunk. Rude established this somewhere between the third and sixth phonecall, so it takes all of his concentration to understand exactly _what_ Reno is trying to say.

"Speak slower," he mutters into the handset, leaning forward to mute the television. The voice at the other end of the line laughs.

"No, no," Reno laughs. "See, I _am _talkin' slow. You're just not paying attensu-- attenshi-- attention."

Rude sighs. "What, then?"

"I... why aren't you here, man? You're meant to be _here."_

"But I want to be at home, Reno."

"But..." Rude can _hear_ the pout. "You're my drinking partner. And my work partner."

"I realise that."

"So? Come onnnnn, Rude."

Rude passes a forlorn look at the television, and the late night movie, before hitting the 'off' switch on the remote.

"Alright," he sighs.

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	4. The Best I've Ever Had

**Summary:** After the end.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own a thing.

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Reno slid backwards, almost knocking his head on the cupboards, as he moved to a more comfortable position on the bench. If Rude was here, he would've killed him. _Sitting on tables is impolite, Reno_, and _Do you have any idea how stupid you look,_ and Reno would have just laughed and jumped off again.

If Rude were here, he would have _listened_.

If Rude were here, Reno wouldn't be drunk in the first place.

If Rude were here, Reno might've wanted to go to sleep, so he could go to work in the morning. Instead, he was content to sit, nursing that ancient, stale bottle of scotch and wishing for once that he hadn't suggested that they sent _his _partner to Wutai. Wishing that it wasn't worse than they had thought.

Wishing that Rude wasn't dead.

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End file.
